VAALCO Energy Inc

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS 

Our business faces many risks. Any of the risks discussed elsewhere in this Quarterly Report and our other SEC filings could have a material impact on our business, financial position or results of operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also impair our business operations.

For a discussion of our potential risks and uncertainties, see the information in Item 1A. Risk Factors in our 2023 Form 10-K , our Q1 2024 Form 10-Q and our Q12 2024 Form 10-Q. Except as set forth below, there have been no material changes in our risk factors from those described in our 2023 Form 10-K and Q1 2024 Form 10-Q.

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Provisions of our agreements could discourage an acquisition of us by a third-party.

Certain provisions of our production sharing contracts, joint operating agreements and other agreements could make it more difficult or more expensive for a third-party to acquire us or our assets, or may even prevent a third-party from acquiring us or our assets. For example, some of these agreements contain restrictions on assignments of our assets, including requirements to obtain consent from applicable counterparties, preemption rights and requirements to make bonus payments. In some cases, these restrictions apply to indirect assignments. By discouraging an acquisition of us or our assets by a third-party, these provisions could have the effect of deterring otherwise interested third-parties from proposing or consummating these acquisitions. This could prevent the holders of our common stock of an opportunity to sell their common stock at a premium over prevailing market prices.

We have limited control over the assets we do not operate.

We have limited control over matters relating to development and exploitation activities, including the timing of and capital expenditures for such activities and compliance with environmental, safety, and other standards, of assets where we are not the operator. The operator and our fellow non-operating owners of these properties may act in ways that are not in our best interest. Additionally, we are dependent on the operator and our fellow non-operating owners of such projects to fund their contractual share of the capital expenditures of such projects. Our dependence on the operator and such parties could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.

There are no assurances that we will be able to extend the Block CI-40 Petroleum Production Sharing Contract (Block CI-40 PSC).

The Block CI-40 PSC expires in April 2028. The Block CI-40 PSC can be extended by 10 years so long as certain conditions are met. Negotiations to extend the Block CI-40 PSC began in January 2024, led by the operator, CNR International (Cte d'Ivoire) S.A.R.L (the operator), with the Director General of Hydrocarbons and the Government of the Cte dIvoire. Any extension is subject to approval of the Council of Ministers and formal approval by presidential decree. There can be no assurance that an extension will be approved or that any extensions terms will not contain terms less favorable than our present arrangement. If the Block CI-40 PSC expires, our results of operations would be adversely affected.

The floating, production, storage and offloading vessel (the FPSO) in Cte d'Ivoire is scheduled to come offline for scheduled maintenance in January 2025. Our results will be adversely affected until the FPSO is returned to service which may be a time later than we expect.

As an offshore asset, we, along with the operator and contractors of the Block CI-40 PSC, depend on the FPSO to store the crude oil produced prior to sale to customers. The FPSO contract expires in December 2025. The FPSO is expected to be non-operational beginning on or around January 2025, during which time it will be put on dry dock and undergo maintenance. The FPSO is expected to return to service in 2026. During this time, production relating to the Block CI-40 PSC will be halted and we will receive no revenues from the Block CI-40 PSC. Additionally, there can be no assurance that the FPSO will return to service in the expected timeframe or that the costs of returning it to service will not be more than expected, and in either such case our results would be adversely affected.